ENGLISH
REFERENCE

unreal

adj.
US //ənˈɹiɫ// UK //ʌnɹˈiəl// un·re·al
  1. 1 not real (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    not real or existing in the physical world; like a dream or a story.

    lacking existence in reality; existing only in the imagination or as a theoretical concept.

    Example

    The bright colors in the dream felt so unreal when I woke up.

    Example

    The landscape had an unreal quality, as if the mountains had been painted onto the horizon rather than formed by nature.
  2. 2 amazing or incredible (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    so good, impressive, or strange that you can hardly believe it is true.

    extraordinary or incredible to an extreme degree; often used to express high praise or shock.

    Example

    The view from the top of the mountain was absolutely unreal.

    Example

    The athlete's performance during the final minutes of the game was simply unreal, leaving the commentators and the crowd in total disbelief.

    Usage

    Often used with intensifiers like 'absolutely' or 'totally' in spoken English.
Origin

From un- + real.

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